McMahon petitioning for Independent run

Brian Lockhart

Updated 10:55 pm, Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Linda McMahon, the GOP's endorsed candidate for U.S. Senate, Wednesday filed paperwork with the Secretary of the State's office to also petition her way onto the general election ballot as an Independent Party candidate.

McMahon spokesman Erin Isaac said the candidate's goal is to win August's primary against ex-U.S. Rep Christopher Shays and then appear twice on the November ballot as both the Republican and Independent nominee.

Murphy is involved in his own primary battle with former Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz.

Av Harris with the Secretary of the State's office said to qualify as an Independent Party candidate, McMahon must collect 7,500 signatures of registered voters. The party does not have an automatic ballot line because it has failed in past Senate elections to obtain the necessary percentage of votes to secure a place alongside the two major parties.

But Harris noted there is a potential complication from the ongoing battle for control of the Independent Party between two factions. If the sides do not agree on McMahon's candidacy and a second Independent emerges as a petition candidate for U.S. Senate, Harris said neither name will make the ballot.

"We've said you guys either need to figure out a combination with each other so you have a unified endorsement or you have no nominee," Harris said. "The Secretary of the State's Office is not in a position to adjudicate any of these disputes over who's the real party. They have to settle it themselves."

Dr. Robert Fand, of Danbury, deputy treasurer of what he called the true Independent Party, acknowledged late Wednesday, "This is a mess."

Fand said he wants a Republican -- whether it is McMahon or Shays -- to win the U.S. Senate seat and believes he could help "nullify" the Working Families Party vote.

"Basically I like Linda," Fand said, but added he also reached out to Shays and never heard back.

The other Independent faction is represented by Mike Telesca, of Waterbury, who, along with Murphy and Shays, could not be reached for comment Wednesday.